Alcohol abuse amongst teenagers 14-16 years

Abstract

This project/long essay is primary concerned with teenage use and abuse of alcohol. The writer looks at the developmental stage of adolescence, and why it is considered a turbulent period, especially when teenagers are prone to engage in risky behaviour, such as alcohol abuse. The main focus of this paper is on teenagers who are influenced by social and cultural factors which help to develop a teenager's schema for drinking. The initial and contributing factors of alcohol use/abuse, the effect of the family, and peer groups are also examined in detail. This helps to explain whether drinking is part of the normal development of the teenagers' psychosocial development. Extensive use is made of the findings of the Caritas/Pride Malta Schools Survey of 1991 and the subsequent analysis by Adams and Gleaton, in order to focus on the concrete reality of the Maltese adolescents' drinking habits. The writer then discusses the services which are available in Malta, with special influence to those offered by Sedqa and Alcoholics Anonymous, an attempt is made to discuss the implication of the situation for social workers who are engaged in work with adolescents.